Too often people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction confuse therapy with advocacy. Our stories of illness are dramatic and sometimes entertaining, and we tend to believe sharing them on “Oprah” helps clean and sober America understand the roots and challenges of addiction.

Actually, advertising our drunk-o-logs often does little but perpetuate the stereotypes of addiction. The everyday and, admittedly, less scintillating victories of recovery are left offstage. More important, the spotlight and the headlines miss the degree to which perception and policy holds back the 22 million Americans addicted to alcohol and other drugs.

So here’s a story — less sensational, but sadly true:

In the 1980s, the Washington DC government created Karrick Hall, an 85-bed, residential treatment center for alcohol and drug addiction. Using the then-innovative 28-day model of treatment, a dedicated staff brought an outstanding measure of love and service to those battling addiction. I led support group meetings there every Friday night for several years as part of my early recovery. Today, hundreds of people in recovery trace their healing to a treatment experience there. Unfortunately, the quality and quantity of treatment disintegrated in the 1990s when the building became a way station for social service causes of the day.

The District recently announced a complete refurbishing of Karrick Hall, restoring it as a full-service residential center for alcohol and other drug treatment. This sounds like good news. But instead of being run by the health department, where it began, it’s now under the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system, its 105 beds filled by newly released prisoners. Its new name: The Reentry Sanction Center.

Maybe not worthy of “Oprah,” but a tale that’s symbolic of how we deal with addiction in the 21st century: Our responses to addiction disease have been born of prejudice, fear and shame, confusing punishment with treatment.
 

Addiction is a treadmill illness. Symptoms appear early in life. When left unchecked or unrecognized, they emerge into critical stages of tremendous pain and violent consequences for individuals and society.

Our policy response to this pain has been the largest jail-building spree in the history of civilization. It is clear from our experience that national efforts will continue to give greater weight to confused notions of “justice” and supply management than to health and healing.

But the story continues. In spite of the policies that send people to jail instead of treatment, hundreds of thousands of Americans get well every year. Recovery also is a treadmill process and as more citizens join in, a new dialogue is focusing on the benefits of recovery, rather than the costs of illness.

The science that should drive public policy is simple and clear: Addiction recovery is a normal expectation when appropriate responses are applied in a timely manner. In designing and implementing new systems at the state level, three strategic goals are critical:

—First, reform the front end of this treadmill.

Responsibility for treatment of addiction disease must be visibly placed in our public health system, not isolated and hidden in sectors where services are rarely linked. Screening and intervention must be available wherever health services are provided. At the same time, we must restore private health insurance reimbursement for this chronic health issue. The massive cost transfer from the private sector to the public sector discriminates against people at risk for addiction disease, delays appropriate intervention and clouds the issue with shame and the mythology that weakness rather than sickness is the root of this disease.

—Second, address the overload at the end of the treadmill.

Our failure to hone in on the symptoms of disease, coupled with the inappropriate War on Drugs, has placed our correction system into chaos. Over the past two decades, our criminal justice system has been forced into the health business because there is no other choice. It’s become clear from overwhelming statistics that building more jails will not solve the problem.

—Third, demonstrate to the public that addiction recovery is a huge bargain.

Each dollar invested in treatment saves $7 to $12 in direct primary health care as well as costs associated with criminal justice and social services. That doesn’t count the benefits of workplace productivity, improved community safety and quality of life. Any solution must convey to America the link between addiction health and quality of life, establishing the value of every citizen and the savings in addressing addiction disease appropriately.

If you’ve experienced recovery, help drive our public policy by demonstrating your success. We need role models to come forward and speak out.

Recovery is happening broadly. It’s a huge bargain for every American. People in recovery contribute. Families heal. Money is saved. Everyone wins.

And America still gets lots of stories, but with authentic happy endings.

(Johnny W. Allem is President/CEO of Johnson Institute, a leading policy voice for addiction recovery. Allem is a Washington, D.C. community activist, business owner, and former director of operations of the District’s Department of Mental Health. He is a past member of the Advisory Council of the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA).)
 

Back to Top